Monday Author Meetup: Lola Grace Stevens

About the author: Lola Grace has been reading books since three years old. Her love of reading gave her great imagination and she would often write short stories and poems, some of which are published under her real name. Now she is writing about romance in the old west.

Lola Grace lives in Southern California, she is married and the mother of three children. In her spare time she enjoys reading and rock climbing. Family is everything to her, and she incorporates that into every story she writes. She currently writes the Family of Fire series, as well as the Men of Turtlecreek series.

Today the spotlight is on Lola Grace’s western historical romance:

The Redemption-Bren’s Story

Blurb:

Brendan Moore has survived the darkness of hell more than once, and just wants to live the rest of his life with his daughter in peace. When a lovely young widow arrives at his hotel Bren is immediately drawn to her, and his ordered life is suddenly thrown into chaos.

Laura Murphy has brought her two young sons across the country to Viking, Montana with one purpose-to help Shaina Moore reunite with her family. Falling into the arms of the handsome hotel owner was not in her plans, nor did she expect to find herself engaged within two days of her arrival.

Before the two even have a chance to truly know each other Bren must leave to find one of his brothers. While searching for him the past comes back to haunt Bren. Can he escape the darkness of his past? Will Laura have the man she married back? Or will it all end with the sound of a gunshot?

Excerpt:

“Excuse me?” Laura said. She smiled weakly when he spun around. “I’m sorry to bother you, but… do you need any help?”

“Help with what?” Bren asked. He couldn’t help wondering if she thought he was crazy. It wouldn’t be the first time someone had thought it about him.

“The dishes. I noticed nobody’s helping you. My boys are sleeping so I thought I maybe I could give you a hand,” Laura said. She couldn’t help frowning at him. Why would he wonder why he needed help? There were far more dishes than one person could wash in a single night.

“Oh, the dishes,” Bren said as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “I’m sorry. I was just thinking about something else when you came in.”

“It’s quite all right,” Laura said as she walked over to the sink and pushed up the long sleeves on her dress.

Bren watched her curiously for a moment before joining her at the sink. “Why did you come to Viking?”

“That’s a bit of a personal question,” she told him as she raised an eyebrow at him.

“I’ll tell you what. If you answer mine I’ll answer yours,” Bren said with a teasing grin.

Laura couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped her lips. “All right. I came to see a very old friend, and I… want to start over,” she said simply.

“That’s a good reason. I know what it’s like to need to start over,” he said quietly. “All right, now it’s your turn.”

She thought for a moment before looking at him. “Do you have a wife?” She thought it was strange that he had no one to help him in the kitchens.

“No. My daughter’s mother died a long time ago,” Bren said as he rinsed the dishes and dried them. “I’m not looking to fill that position, just in case that’s why you came down here.” Bren regretted the words as soon as they left his lips. Even though she had been in his kitchen less than ten minutes he felt twisted around.

“I have no intention of marrying again. Definitely not to a man like yourself, so you can consider yourself safe, Mister… what is your last name?”

Bren frowned suddenly. What kind of woman didn’t want to marry? And what was wrong with him? It’s not like she had seen his scars. “Why don’t you want to marry?” he asked shortly. His pride felt stung that she didn’t think he was worthy of her consideration.

“I don’t think that’s any of your business,” Laura snapped. She didn’t know the hotel owner well enough to tell him any intimate details. “And what is your last name? I can’t call you Bren! It wouldn’t be proper.”

Bren grabbed her around the waist a little roughly. He spun her around to face him and shook his head. “Who cares about propriety?”

Laura gasped when she felt his hands on her. Her heart was beating so fast she thought it would jump out of her chest. She could hear the danger in his voice, but for some reason she wasn’t afraid of him. “I’m not afraid of you,” she whispered.

His eyes widened a bit. Only one other woman had said that to him. “You should be,” he told her harshly.

She saw the hardness in his eyes and shook her head. It was amazing that she wasn’t afraid when their bodies were pressed against each other. “Why? I see nothing to be afraid of. Now let me go and tell me your last name,” she demanded.

Bren slid one hand through her hair and shook his head. “I’m not letting you go yet.” He knew he should let her go, but there was something about her that just called to him. “It’s Moore.”